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Stauber Introduces Legislation Kickstarting American Manufacturing of Critical Minerals

August 4, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08) introduced legislation incentivizing manufacturers to purchase domestically sourced and processed critical minerals. The Manufacturing America's Mineral Security Act will help put an end to America's dependence on unreliable foreign nations like the Communist Regime of China for critical minerals that power our economy and secure our national defense.

Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduced the Manufacturing America's Mineral Security Actas an amendment to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Of his legislation, Congressman Stauber stated, "Whether it be mining, processing, or manufacturing, the United States is being left behind while our foreign rivals like the Communist Regime of China dominate our supply chains. Take cobalt, for example. Chinese-owned mines use child and slave labor in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to extract the minerals by hand before shipping them back to the Chinese mainland for manufacturing, where they are then purchased for use in electric vehicles, jet turbines, and countless other applications. Imagine the impact on our nation should China suddenly withhold these critical resources. That's why I introduced the Manufacturing America's Mineral Security Act, a bill to kickstart domestic manufacturing of our critical minerals.

Congressman Stauber continued, saying, "This is a bipartisan and bicameral issue. Whether it be iron, copper, nickel, cobalt, zinc, or rare earth elements, we have the resources in America. We have the processing capacity in America. We have the manufacturers in America. Let's put American innovation to work and put an end to China's chokehold over this key supply chain."

Currently, U.S. manufacturers rely on foreign countries for more than half of the metals and minerals they use. Outsourcing these metals and minerals often provides nations who do not have our best interests at heart with leverage, placing our national and economic security at risk.

Furthermore, outsourcing these critical minerals has only empowered nations with poor environmental and labor track records to continue with, and even ramp up, these harmful practices.

As the Representative of an area rich in minerals like taconite, copper, nickel, platinum-group elements, Congressman Stauber knows that our miners, manufacturers and others throughout our domestic supply chain eagerly await the chance to serve their nation and responsibly source these resources needed for every sector of our economy.

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